Hi Gail,
Well, I can't believe there might actually be a get together in
Halifax, and I won't be able to take part. For September/October I will be
away (Greece) but I would dearly love to meet you and others, so I hope
another time will be possible, and I hope that those of you who will be
here have a great time on October 15th! Take photos.

Re your questions: here I go again asking for more info--how long
will you be here and do you mean that the whole time will be in Cape
Breton except for the GTG, or part time in Halifax? That would help me
focus on what to recommend.

Meanwhile, no visit to Cape Breton would be complete without a
trip around the Cabot trail, especially in October when the leaves will be
turning. And no trip would be complete without a trip to Fortress
Louisbourg. The fort will be open in October, but they may not have the
costumed people and interpreters that late. They will have a Visitor
Centre open and some tour guides who will guide you arounf the site.
If you are a Rita Mcneil (MacNeil?) fan, you might like Rita's Tea
Room. There's also the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck. Dundee
has beautiful scenery. Cheticamp is interesting. If you like things like
hooked rugs there is an Elizabeth LeFort Museum where they display her
work (apparently she's a famous rug personwhose work often looks like
paintings --lots of different hues and shading). Then there is a store
called Flora's where they sell hooked rugs and kits etc. Its open year
round and there are often local women hooking rugs there that you can
watch or talk to.

You might want to check out a bizarre little thing called the
Slicker Guide to Halifax if you are headed this way, or on a more serious
note if you are a hiker, Michael Haynes has written some wonderful hiking
guides published by Goose Lane Publishing. Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia
has a section on Cape Breton and the Highlands National Park, and I think
he may have since published Hiking Trails of Cape Breton. Not sure if
hiking is what you meant by a love of the outdoors--let me know more of
what you like and I can get you more details.